Analysis of Racism expressed by Asian American s

Racism and Cultural Identity : Perspectives of Asian American Americans of Asian ancestry , as well as Asian immigrants , has inevitably experienced hostility from the people and government of the United States in various forms , including prejudice , economic discrimination political disenfranchisement , physical violence , social segregation , and incarceration as well as the immigration exclusion (Chan , 1991

In surveying their popular image as passive and subservient , Asian Americans did make fervent efforts to stand up to oppression through legal means . However , the courts have repeatedly determined that Asians were ineligible for naturalized citizenship . Asian Americans who

were not citizens were also prohibited from owning land , although some did manage to circumvent these restrictions by transferring ownership to their American-born children

Relating to what these people have experienced , most Asian American literature reflects diverse themes and tendencies . Although certain patterns can be discerned and one of the most magnified impression that remains is about the issue of diversity and variation . The recurrent theme is the theme of Asian American racial and social identity especially in relationship to the American racism and relationships with other minority groups . Also , recurrent is the theme of restoring the foundations of the Asian American past and finding links between the generations and their dilemma of being truly Americans or not

For instance , Sui Sin Far 's story entitled Mrs . Spring Fragrance ' is a story of a Chinese American woman who wants to be a writer . Using humor and irony to criticize literary misrepresentation of her heritage while playfully describing white Americans . While Sui Sin Far emulated the conventional reliance on her Chinese heritage in literature , it has subtle approach to condemn racial stereotypes aimed at the Chinese people

Having lived in the United States for five years , Mrs . Spring Fragrance has reached the point where There are no more American words for her learning (p . 17 . HYPERLINK "http /www .questia .com /PM .qst ?a o d 7 " In addition , she has adopted many American customs , such as wearing Western clothing , cooking American dishes , reading American and British poetry , and she has made a number of white American friends . Mr . Spring Fragrance resembles his wife in having transformed himself into a prosperous businessman on the American model

But , what 's interesting in the story is how Mrs . Spring Fragrance plots to help her young neighbor Laura Chin Yuen escape an arranged marriage in to enable her to marry the Chinese man she loves . With her desire to help the young woman , Mrs . Spring Fragrance realized her own dilemma before . In choosing of a spouse for whom one feels sexual desire is presented as a white American cultural value , and in attempting to help her young neighbor to find true love , Mrs . Spring Fragrance is implied to be acting as an American . In doing so , she unwittingly puts her own marriage , arranged by her and her husband 's parents , in jeopardy . Mr . Spring Fragrance , like most of the Chinese males in the stories , represents the patriarchal Chinese culture , which the...